Expanding tissue-paper ornament



July 14, 1925.

' 1,545,750 R. E. FLEMING E'XPANDING TISSUE PAPER ORNAMENT Filed April 21, 1922 Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES gfIUHf-EIr'I OFFICE RAYMOND E. FLNMING, orsnirrnnsnione, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNonToManrIN L. BEISTLE, or s-HrrrnNsBUne, rnNNsYLvANIA.

nxrANniNGV 'TISSUE-PAPER. ORNAMENT.

Application filed April 21, 1922. Serial No. 555,904.

To all whom t may concern: f

Be it known that L'RAYAIOND FLnM- ING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shippensburg, inthe county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania,rhave in-v vented certain `newand :useful Improvements in Expanding Tissue-Paper Ornaments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ornaments onthe order of the folding paper bells which are used to a large extent for decorativexpurposes at Christmas time. 'f y rlhe main object ofV this invention is the provision of a construction whereby the bell y may be more readily unfolded or expanded with an even distribution of its plications around the entireperiphery, and which will extend the life of the ornament by substantially reducing the wear vand tear thereon in the process of setting up and unfolding. This object is accomplished by relieving the parts usually subjected to stresses and strains in the operation of unfolding or expanding the bell, without detracting from the appearance of the ornament when set up, and without increasing the expense of manufacture or simplicity of construction.

Other object-s and aims of the invention, more or less broad than those stated above, together with the advantages inherent, will be in part obvious and in part specifically referred to in the course of thefollowing description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts, and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will appear from the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as part of this specification, and

in which l have shown merely a preferred form of embodiment of invention:

Figure 1 is a side View of the invention applied to an ornament of the Christmas bell type, the ornament being in the folded condition Figure 2 is an end view of the device4 shown in Figure 1 Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the bell in its unfolded or set-up condition, a polltion of the bell having been broken away; an

Figure 4 is a section of an enlarged detail lustrated in Patent No. 1,414,006 the body of which is composed of a plurality of adjacent, superposed leaves or layers 10 joined together, each layer, in the present instance, having the form `of al half-bell. It will be understood, of course, that while the invention is shown as applied toan ornament having a bell shape, it can Abe applied to an Vornament of any shape andoperating on the same principle. The layers 10 are joined together at their inner edges by any suitable Afastening means, such means defining the axis .of-rotation about which the hell unfolds. To limit the creasing of the layers to small .portions thereof along their inner edges, the layers are provided with cooperating, aligned tabs or extensions 12 along i their inner edges preferably at the upper and lower portions of the bell, fastening members such as staples 13 extendingl More of these spaced through said tabs. tabs may be providedfin the larger sized orlraments, but ordinarily two, such as indicated, will suffice.

On the outermost leaves there are secured by pasting, or otherwise, backing or rein forcing strips 15, 16 ywhich may be made, for instance, of card-board or heavier paper. These backing strips may be made to conform generally to the outline of the leaves, as shown, and they are preferably located outwardly from the tabs 12. At their upper ends, however, these tabs are provided with .inwardly extending portions 19 having apertures 21 the centers of which, when the ornament is unfolded, are substantially in the axis of rotation, (the axis uponwhich the unfolding takes place), so that when the unfolded ornament is suspended by said apertures it will hang vertically. One of the backing strips may carry clips 26 whose ends 27 are to be bent around the edge of the other backing strip, to hold the bell in expanded condition. 1

'Ordinarily the said axis of rotation, or unfolding, would be the line through the fastening members 13. With such a structure the unfolding operation is somewhat difficult because the hinges about which rotation tales place are stiff. And repeated folding and unfolding of the ornament tends to tear the layers away from the fastening members and thus shorten the life "of Vthe ornament. Therefore, the plications do not open evenly. To overcome these objections, my invention provides, a short distance inwardly from said members, weakened portions or sections 25 in said layers so that rotation will take placeV about said weakened sections instead of vat the fastening members. The weakening may be accomplished by indentations in the layers, by perforations, or by slits (as shown). Since weakened sections are not subjected to any substantial strains or stresses, but only to a slight bending, there will be no damaging effect on the layers of material. The axis of rotation being through slits 25,

the centers of apertures 21 are positioned in the line of said; axis, when the bell is in folded condition, so that when the ornament is expanded and suspended by said apertures itl will hang vertically.

In use, the normally flat pad is opened up by rotating the backing strips toward each other around the axis established by the weakened sections 25 until they are in back to back engagement. This opens up the leaves of the ornament and brings the perforations 21 into register at a point substantially in line with the axis of rotation. A suspending cord may then be passed through the cooperating openings 21 to assist in securing the parts in expanded relation, and to provide a suspension means in line with the true axis of the ornament, so that the latter will hang truly vertical.

The portions 19 serve also to brace the relaently widely different embodiments of my invention could be made without departing tion or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the yscope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said Vto fall therebetween.

I claim A device of the kind described comprising a plurality of connected superimposed leaves and backing strip secured to the outermost leaves, the inner edge of said strips terminating short of the inner edges of said leaves, said strips each having an inwardly and upwardly directed extension projecting from the upper edge thereof, said leaves having weakened portions near their inner edges and out of alignment with the fastening means for establishing an axis of rotation, said strip extensions being apertured in alignment with the axis of rotation established by the. weakened portions of said leaves.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RAYMOND E. rLnMnvei.

Witnesses WALT. ELLWEIN, BESSE RAILING. 

